Shoe attachment



March 30, 1965 A. .1. EVANS 3,175,307

SHOE ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "5* Filed May 10, 1963 INVENTOR ANTHONYJ- EVANS March 30, 1965 A. J. EVANS 3,175,307

SHOE ATTACHMENT Filed ma 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-4.

INVENTOR.

ANTHONY J. EVANS United States Patent 3,175,307 SHOE ATTACHMENT AnthonyJ. Evans, Box 14, Wendell Depot, Mass. Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. No.279,416 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-4) This invention relates to an accessory fora shoe, and the principal object of the invention resides in theprovision of a shoe attachment in the nature of a shoehorn which isparticularly beneficial to the loafer type of shoe in which there is nosolid counter. The present attachment is adapted to be placed in theshoe on the sock liner or inner sole and secured thereto in the regionof the shank, to facilitate the placement of the heel of the foot in theshoe, particularly in loafers which have a soft counter portion and areapt to become crushed and wrinkled when a shoehorn i not used, theattachment being provided with an enlarged operative portion whichextends laterally to the sides of the heel, in the nature of side wings,thus embracing not only the rear part of the heel but also the sideportions of the heel, as the foot is pressed down into the shoe thisavoids crushing of the side walls of loafers, slippers, and other shoes.

The invention also contemplates the above in several different forms inone of which the enlargement and side wings are made of a single pieceof very thin smooth tough material such as Mylar, being unnoticeablewhen the foot is in the shoe but still having the strength to stand upunder repeated flexing; and the provision of other types where the sidewings are separate from the rear portion at the heel but cooperatetherewith in shielding or guarding the side walls of the shoe adjacentthe heel as well as the rear portion of the heel where the counter isusually located.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one form of the invention, part being disruptedin order to show the invention clearly;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing a modification;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing a still further modification, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are similar views showing still further modifications.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a flat main body portion 1i)which assumes the shape of the shoe from the counter portion thereof tothe shank and in the shank area 12 there is provided adhesive or othermeans for securing the main body portion to the insole of the shoe moreor less in the manner shown in my Patent No. 3,014,288 dated December26, 1961.

This main body portion is preferably made of two thin leather orsimulated leather parts joined together, these parts being indicated at14 and at 16, each having corresponding edges at 18 and which coincidein the finished form of the article.

Extending from the heel portion of the device there is a very thin,flexible and strong member preferably made of a material such as Mylarand having a mushroom shaped enlarged portion generally indicated at 22.This extends from the center at the rear of the heel into side wings at24, 24 and has on it a tab 26 by which it is adhesively secured betweenthe layers of the two parts making up the main body portion, i.e., at 14and 16.

It will be seen that the line at 18 corresponds to the curvature of theshoe adjacent the counter and when the device is applied to the shoe asat 12 at the shank, the wings 24 overlie the sides of the heel of theshoe, with the central portion between the wings overlying the portionof the heel where the counter usually is found.

When the foot is inserted in the shoe and the heel is "ice presseddownwardly, the wings 24 will curve or bend upwardly as will also theportion of the device at the center, and a cup-shaped formation will bemade simply by the act of inserting the foot in the shoe. The wings 24,24 will bend inwardly approximately along the lines 28, thus preservingthe entire rear part of the shoe even through there may be no counterprovided to avoid crushing, and such crushing ordinarily present in theabsence of the use of this device will be obviated.

The device shown in FIG. 2 is somewhat similar, the main body portionbeing indicated by the reference numeral 3t) and having a shank portionat 32 to be secured to the insole of the shoe as before. In this casealso the shoehorn device except for the main body portion and the sidewings are made of a single piece of material such as Mylar and theseform an extending tab-like portion at 34 connected to a pair of sidewings 36, 36 which extend laterally therefrom. These are made integrallyhowever, with the main body portion 38 which is cemented between the twolayers of the shoe attachment and these are indicated at 40 and 42,member 42 being shown rolled back in order to reveal the entire device.When the part 42 is secured over the central portion 38 of the device,it will extend along the dotted lines 44.

In the use of this device, the wings 36 will bend upwardly about thedotted lines at 44, 44 and the tab at 34 will bend upwardly about theline 46 representing the shape of the counter portion of the shoe at therear of the heel, and it will thus be seen that not only the rear of theheel but the side portions of the upper in advance of the heel will beprotected against crushing when the foot is put in the shoe.

A variation of this device is shown in FIG. 3 wherein the main bodyportion of the device at 50 is to be applied to the shoe as before,being free of the shoe other than at the shank portion thereof, and onit there is a kind of lunar or horn-shaped device 52 secured in the area54 to the main body portion 50 but having curved reentrant members 56extending therefrom.

There is a separate tab member 58 which is double as shown by thefold-over line at 60 and secured in the area 62 to the main body portion59 at the rear portion of the heel, with the tips at 64 located betweenthe two leaves formed by the folded-over member 58. In this case theaction is the same as before except for the fact that the doubled member58 forms guides for the tips 64 of the arms 56 so that these arms arealways engaged with member 58, and this forms slidable, interengagingmeans. As the foot is placed in the shoe the arms 56 bend upwardly aboutthe side edges of the main body portion 60 as indicated by referencenumerals 66, and the doubled tab 58 will fold upwardly about the line 68which represents the rear edge portion of the heel in the area where thecounter is usually found in the shoe. In this case also the main bodyportion 50 will be composed of two thin pieces of leather or syntheticleather, plastic, or even paper, but each of the members 22, 34 and 52all are adhesively secured inbetween the two members going to make upthe main body portion of the device.

The modification shown in FIG. 4 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 butthe conformation of the wings as at 74 7% is somewhat different and theform of the tab at 72 for attachment to the main body portion 74 i alsoa little diiferent. However the fold lines at 76 are substantially thesame.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that in FIG. 4except for the fact that the attachment portion at 78 is larger andcovers a greater extent of the main body portion 80 of the device. Alsoit is provided with fin-like wings 82 the function of which is the sameas for instance those at 36 in FIG. 2.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages 3 thereof, I donot wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise thanas set forth in the claims, but what-I claim is:

1. An attachment for a shoe comprising a generally flat main bodyportion having a heel and side edges of a shape to conform in generaltothe shape of the insole of the shoe from the shank to theend of the heelportion of theshoe, a separate tab adhesively secured with relation tothe main body portion for location adjacent the heel portion of theshoe, a pair of side wings on said main body portion extending laterallywell beyond the side edges ofthe main body portion, said side wingsbeing of a length toext'end substantially from the shank to the heelportion of the shoe, said tab and wings being separated by gapstherebetween and being very thin, tough and flexible and sewingtoencompass both the rear portion of the heel and theside portions of thefoot adjacent the heel of the foot as it is pushed down into the shoe,said attachment adapted to be secured to the shoe at the shank portiononly thereof and otherwise being free of the shoe.

2. An attachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 where in the tab andside wings are separate members both of which are individually securedtothe main body portion forindependent motion relative to each other.

3.' Anattachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 Where- 2 in the taband side wings are separate members both of whichare individuallysecured to the main body portion for independent motion relative to eachother and include slidable interengaging means between them to cause thesame to move together in one direction but relative to each other inanother direction.

4. An attachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 wherein the tab andthe side wings are separate members both of which are individuallysecured to the main body portion for independent motion relative to eachother, the tab being a folded-over doubled member, the folds thereofforming a guideway and said side wings being elongated and terminatingin inwardly directed. nose portions extending toward each otherand-located between the foldsv of said tab, whereby the tab and sidewings fold together down into the shoe as the foot is inserted therein,and

the wings move relatively toward each other, into the folded-overdoubled member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,851 9/03Scism 36-25 764,635 7/04 Scism 36-25 2,366,097 12/44 Gesell 223-1183,117,385 1/64 Evans 36-25 FOREIGN PATENTS 670,849 1/39 Germany.

JORDAN FMNKLIN, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A SHOE COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT MAIN BODYPORTION HAVING A HEEL AND SIDE EDGES OF A SHAPE TO CONFORM IN GENERAL TOTHE SHAPE OF THE INSOLE OF THE SHOE FROM THE SHANK TO THE END OF THEHEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE, A SEPARATE TAB ADHESIVELY SECURED WITHRELATION TO THE MAIN BODY PORTION FOR LOCATION ADJACENT THE HEEL PORTIONOFTHE SHOE, A PAIR OF SIDE WINGS ON SAID MAIN BODY PORTION EXTENDINGLATERALLY WELL BEYOND THE SIDE EDGES OF THE MAIN BODY PORTION, SAID SIDEWINGS BEING OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE SHANK TO THEHEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE, SAID TAB AND WINGD BEING SEPARATED BY GAPSTHEREBETWEEN AND BEING VERY THIN, TOUGH AND FLEXIBLE AND SERVING TOENCOMPASS BOTH THE REAR PORTION OF THE HEEL AND THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THEFOOT ADJACENT THE HEEL OF THE FOOT AS IT IS PUSHED DOWN INTO THE SHOE,SAID ATTACHMENT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE SHOE AT THE SHANK PORTIONONLY THEREOF AND OTHERWISE BEING FREE OF THE SHOE.